Re: Suicide Bomber Revelation

Peter Boulding <pjb@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Tue, 5 Feb 2008 19:12:34 -0800 (PST), TedTheCat <tedthecat85@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote in
<8ad74f82-22cf-42dc-9620-1f2e312b01eb@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>:

> >The defenders of the Alamo are treated like saints in Texas.

> In the wonderful movie "Lone Star" we are introduced to our
schoolteacher
> heroine at a parents' meeting: a fierce argument is taking place between
the
> Anglo moms, who want their children to be taught the myth and symbolism
of
> the Alamo, and the Chicano moms, who want the kids to learn the historic
> truth. 

And as great as that film is it isn't fiction.  7th graders in Texas are 
required to take a full year of Texas "History".  When I took it <Mumble 
mumble> years ago it was an exercise in silly hagiation with an amount of 
gloss that approached cultural polyurethane.  

We learned that Travis was brave in holding them at the San antonio 
Mission and it gave Houston time to form.  We didn't learn that Santa 
Anna's supply train was stretched too far and that he had to stop anyway. 

We also didn't learn that Houston was furious at Travis because he knew 
the men would be better utilized in the more defensable east Texas 
forest's and marshes than the Central Texas plains.  We were taught the 
defensive layout but it wouldn't be years later that it was a really 
REALLY poor place to try to convert into a fortress.  

I did learn some years later as well that you really REALLY shouldn't 
bring these issues up at the the Alamo museum.  Those people don't like 
those types of questions and they don't have much of a sense of humor. 

Dougall